The Geomancer

11/29/11

George Mann, author of Ghosts of ManhattanandGhosts of War, was recently a Guest of Honor at TeslaCon II in Madison, WI. While there, a very cool fan named Robert McAlister presented him with "the most
awesome thing." It was a 12" action figure of The Ghost, hand converted, and mounted on a specially decorated plinth.

11/3/11

“Smashing adventure fiction that spans the multiverse without
ever losing its cool or its sense of style. Ian McDonald is one of the
greats of science fiction, and his young adult debut is everything you
could hope for: romantic, action packed, wildly imaginative, and full of
heart.” —Cory Doctorow"Planesrunner is chock-full of
awesome. Ian McDonald's steampunk London blazes on a vast scale with
eye-popping towers, gritty streets, and larger-than-life characters who
aren't afraid to fight for each other. The kind of airship-dueling,
guns-blazing fantasy that makes me wish I could pop through to the next
reality over, join the Airish, and take to the skies"—Paolo Bacigalupi, Michael J. Printz Award–winning author of Ship Breaker
‎"Athletic, brilliant, and always ahead of
the game, Everett is too perfect, but it doesn't detract from the book's
fun. McDonald writes with scientific and literary sophistication, as
well as a wicked sense of humor. Add nonstop action, eccentric
characters, and expert universe building, and this first volume of the
Everness series is a winner."—Publishers Weekly Starred Review"What joy to find science fiction based on
real scientific concepts... In his debut for teens, established
science-fiction writer McDonald builds a world just different enough to
charm readers into believing... Shining imagination, pulsing suspense
and sparkling writing make this one stand out." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review!

"[Planesrunner's] world is as sharply
imagined and inventive as we've come to expect from [Ian] McDonald. And
it also may be the first steam-free steampunk novel… first-rate
adventure writing… by the cliffhanger ending we're ready to follow
[Everett] into whatever new universes McDonald can concoct, and the next
one already looks interesting. Planesrunner is not only excellent YA SF in terms of its likeable characters and well-executed setpieces, but is simply good SF in a way which almost reinvents, and possibly makes addictive, the old parallel universe trope. It's fun." —Locus, November 2011

"Planesrunner is a first class teen
science fiction novel, which I believe will appeal to the fans of such
boy-oriented books as Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker and Scott
Westerfeld's Leviathan… There is hardly anything about Planesrunner to
complain about. Quite the opposite, a lot to complement this novel on:
First of all, the science. The whole idea of parallel universes is
endlessly exciting and Ian McDonald did a fantastic job coming up with
alternate versions of Earth's future… Second, the main character with
ethnic background… Third, the teen romance has a great dynamic. Both
participants are strong and resourceful young people. Planesrunner is a
fantastic beginning to a new teen adventure series that will leave you
yearning for more. Score: 4.50 / 5 "—Night Owl Reviews, Reviewer Top Pick

‎"Ian McDonald's Planesrunner is the
first in what I hope is a very long series of young adult science
fiction novels.... I can't wait for the next book in this series. Planesrunner,
scheduled for release in December 2011, is an appealing alternative to
the dystopian YA titles lining bookstore shelves these days."—Portland Book Review

‎"This is science fiction adventure at its best,
and at its core is Everett, the heroic little geekling that we all
wanted to be as kids... With "Ten Known Worlds" as part of this book's
lore…I want an interdimensional passport ASAP… The adventure simply
never stops… Snappy dialogue…and fascinating details round out this
marvelous series debut." —The Examiner